Humanism - the Concept of Religion or Atheism

The concept of humanisn in religion and atheism are revealed and discussed in this humanism essay. What would you consider a good life? Is it a life full of wealth, happiness, freedom, one without pain, suffering and guilt? Your certainly not alone. Throughout our world different beliefs and religions have contrasting views in which they believe is a good life. Buddhists believe that a good life is one secluded of suffering. According to crosswalk.com “Christianity believe a good life is that of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

All of these values of a good life is great, but all of these religions look to a higher power to help provide this for them, a god or gods in which believers follow and worship for guidance. Without a god in a religion what is there, who is the one that believers worship and pray to, the one who states what a good life is?

This of course leads us to atheism “disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods”. Atheism is not to be confused with that being religiously unaffiliated. Although atheists are classified as ‘religiously unaffiliated’, it is only a branch of the unaffiliated, with outlying contrasts.

The interesting thing is this. Let's say a god, surrounded by angels in beam of light appeared before your eyes. You are certain it is real, you can reach out and touch the spectacle with your bare hands. A true atheist would still, even being provided with all this evidence, say that god is not real, what they are seeing in front of them is all an illusion or a man made spectacle, with no relevance to a higher power. Furthermore, being an atheist means one does not believe in a god or a higher power. One of the two common branches of atheism is known as Humanism.

Humanism, well, is not a religion. It's something in which bases itself on a commonsensical view of the world. It is an open eyed view, and takes seriously the facts about human beings and their experiences. Humanists see the world as infinitely precious, extraordinary and miraculous. Humanism allows you to go about your world and your own business making ethical choices, based on a general desire to do the most possible good. It's important to realise that one can live a fulfilling life without a religion with a god, with the focus on human beings.

In humanism, a good life is anything but objective. Every human being is different. Our thoughts, ethics and morals are all different. A good life in humanism is one that fulfills ones ethics, morals and is one with themselves. One that follows what they believe and does not stray away from what they feel is morally and ethically correct.

To conclude one of the humanism essays, religions such as Buddhism and christianity all have specific outlines and guidelines in which their followers should fulfil to have a ‘good life’. It is the same for each and every person. Humanism is anything but the same. It is subjective, meaning that a good life in humanism is different for every person, due to their contrasting beliefs, morals and ethics.